| Iron |
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| Atomic Number - | 26 | Melting Point (°C,°F) - | 1538 °C, 2800 °F |
| Atomic Symbol - | Fe | Boiling Point (°C,°F) - | 2861 °C, 5182 °F |
| Atomic Mass - | 55.85 | Electron Configuration - | [Ar] 3d6 4s2 |
| Group - | 8 | Electrons Per Shell - | 2, 8, 14, 2 |
| Period - | 4 | Protons - | 26 |
| Series - | Transition Metals | Neutrons - | 30 |
| Block - | f-block | | |
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Element Description - Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe (L.: Ferrum) and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 metal. Iron is notable for being the final element produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, and thus the heaviest element which does not require a supernova or similarly cataclysmic event for its formation. It is therefore the most abundant heavy metal in the universe. |
Element Characteristics - Iron is the most abundant metal on Earth, and is believed to be the tenth most abundant element in the universe. Iron is also the second most abundant (by mass, 34.6%) element making up the Earth; the concentration of iron in the various layers of the Earth ranges from high at the inner core to about 5% in the outer crust; it is possible the Earth's inner core consists of a single iron crystal although it is more likely to be a mixture of iron and nickel; the large amount of iron in the Earth is thought to contribute to its magnetic field.
Iron is a metal extracted from iron ore, and is hardly ever found in the free (elemental) state. In order to obtain elemental iron, the impurities must be removed by chemical reduction. Iron is used in the production of steel, which is not an element but an alloy, a solution of different metals (and some non-metals, particularly carbon).
Nuclei of iron have some of the highest binding energies per nucleon, superseded only by the nickel isotope 62Ni. The universally most abundant of the highly stable nucleides is, however, 56Fe. This is formed by nuclear fusion in the stars. Although a further tiny energy gain could be extracted by synthesizing 62Ni, conditions in stars are not right for this process to be favoured. When a very large star contracts at the end of its life, internal pressure and temperature rise, allowing the star to produce progressively heavier elements, despite these being less stable than the elements around mass number 60 (the "iron group"). This leads to a supernova.
Some cosmological models with an open universe predict that there will be a phase where as a result of slow fusion and fission reactions, everything will become iron. |
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